Democrats worry that the coronavirus’ impact on in-person campaigning may weaken Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s hold in Nevada after Hillary Clinton won the state by a narrow margin in 2016.
“People were sheltering at home. Nobody was going door to door. If you stood outside a supermarket, people would think you’re crazy,” D. Taylor, head of the labor group Unite Here, told the Los Angeles Times, referring to a lack of in-person voter registration efforts and conversations to court potential votes. Taylor’s group endorsed the Biden-Harris ticket in September.
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In this Feb. 15, 2020 file photo, people wait in line at an early voting location at the culinary workers union hall in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
The Cook Political Report in September moved Nevada from “Likely Democrat” to “Lean Democrat” (a shift to the right) after the Trump campaign spent millions of dollars on ads, prompting the Biden campaign to play catch-up.
Democrats are also trying to revamp doorknocking efforts and other ways to connect with voters that don’t involve a screen as the election approaches, according to the Times. The Biden campaign recently restarted on-the-ground operations and, since mid-March, has spent millions on TV ads in the state — it’s also outspent Trump by nearly 5-to-1 since Labor Day, the Times reported.
“You’ve got to get on the doors,” Taylor told the Times. “TV and radio talk to people. [They don’t] answer their questions.”
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But Biden has not visited the state since February, although his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris was there on Friday, according to the Times. President Trump held an indoor rally near Las Vegas in mid-September.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., reacts after speaking at a drive-in campaign event Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign has been hitting Nevada harder than ever this election season, and officials seem to believe the state might be Trump’s for the taking this November.
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The Trump team boasts that they’ve made over 2.5 million voter contacts in the state this election cycle. Nevada Trump Victory has held over 1,000 Trump Victory Leadership Initiative and over 950 MAGA meetups. They said they’ve registered 9,600 voters.
“Nevada’s been a tough state for us going back 16 years,” Rick Gorka, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, told the Times. “But a combination of events with a combination of candidates has put Nevada squarely in play, which should really scare Democrats.”
Fox News’ Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
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